Like Waves Washing Away the Footprints On the Sand
by Monks74
Summary: Inspired by the prompts for Irosami Week. Asami takes a break from Republic City and the people in it, searching for herself. But will she find something else along the way? Rated T for language. Irosami and a little Makorra.
1. Forgiveness

**Like Waves Washing Away the Footprints On Sand**

Woot, my first ever fanfiction! Just so you know, I plan on there being seven chapters—one for each day of Irosami week.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra, but the plot is mine.

* * *

Asami brushed her hair out of her eyes as she scribbled down ideas in her notebook. She was so focused she didn't notice the slender figure that slid himself into the seat across from her.

"All that writing wouldn't be about that fire-rat bender, would it?" Asami jumped, nearly knocking her coffee cup off the table. But a smile, although it was weak, graced her face when she saw who was sitting across from her.

He looked out of place in the quaint café that had become her go to place. No one would expect a guy like him to be willing to come into a place like this, at least in broad daylight.

"Hey, Tahno." He smirked back at her. The two had become fast friends after Team Avatar returned from the Southern Watertribe, Korra's new abilities in tow. He'd been one of the first people in line, waiting to have his bending restored.

However, they didn't officially meet then. Asami had bumped into him after another party in Korra's honor. It had been a painful evening of watching Mako and Korra dance, kiss, and see nothing but each other. She was happy for them, or at least for Korra, but that didn't detract from the fact that every time she saw them she was hit with a fresh wave of pain.

But, when she bumped into Tahno, he somehow understood her situation. He got her through the worst of the pain, but he couldn't get rid of all of it. He said that she'd have to fix the rest by herself.

"So, whom are you writing about? Me, I presume?" The ex-probender tried to peak through her arms, but Asami snatched the book away.

"It's not a who; it's just stuff." He raised an eyebrow. "And you can't look."

He nodded and held up his hands. "Okay, princess, relax." And the moment she did, he grabbed the book out of her hands and began to read it. "Oh," was his quiet response. Asami blushed and looked down at the table. "I never would have pegged you as this kind of girl, princess."

She snatched at the book, but her hand only found air. "Give it back, Tahno."

He flipped through the pages and found more of the same. "Why in the name of spirits, would you want to go _there_?" Asami rubbed her face with the palm of her hand and looked away from the waterbender. "I mean, I could understand the Earth Kingdom, maybe even the Northern Watertribe, but there?"

"Look, I just do, okay?" She snatched the book away from him, cheeks flushed with color.

He studied her for a minute before saying, "Maybe a little vacation would be good for you, princes." She closed the notebook and looked up into his pale eyes. "It could get your mind off that street rat—give you a fresh start."

She laughed lightly. "Less than a minute ago you were mocking the idea, and now you're encouraging me?"

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Don't get me wrong, princess. I still think the Fire Nation is a horrible place, but if that's where you want to go then I say why not."

She looked down at the table and smiled. "But before you go, you have to forgive him first." Her head snapped up to look at her friend. "I mean it. I don't like the idea of you forgiving him, but to heal you have to do it. And if you don't forgive him before you go, he'll be all you can think about when you're over there."

How could he possibly know that? Tahno was a heartbreaker, not the one who got his heartbroken. Asami was seriously considering ignoring that peace of advice when she remembered Amon.

"Did you forgive him?" she asked quietly.

Tahno shrugged and looked out the window and into the street. "We're talking about you right now, princess." She frowned. "Trust me. It helps."

ooOOOoo

Maybe Tahno was right; maybe the first step to recovery was forgiveness. And although Asami wasn't sure she was ready to forgive, she knew it was time she started healing. She put on her bravest face and picked up the old phone. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the numbers.

"Hello?" came _his_ voice from the end of the phone.

She swallowed and replied, "Hey, it's me. Asami."

There was a brief lapse of silence before he said, "Asami." There was a blankness to his voice that she hadn't expected to be there. "Well, it's been a long time since we talked."

"Yeah."

"So…" He trailed off.

Asami took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could do this. "Look, I know it's been a while, but I was wondering if you'd be willing to meet up. Maybe like a lunch date, only it wouldn't be a date?" Her words tumbled over each other as they spilled from her mouth.

She hated the painful silence that followed. But it didn't last forever.

"I'd like that."

She sighed in relief. "How about Tuesday at one? In the park?"

"Yeah, I think I'm free then. Hold on, let me check." There was a loud clunk as he put the phone down. Asami tapped her foot impatiently on the ground until he returned. "Yeah," he said, "I'm free. So Tuesday at one in the park?"

Quickly she added, "By the fountain."

"By the fountain," he repeated. More silence. "Okay, so I guess I'll see you then."

"See you then." She put the phone back into its holder before collapsing onto the couch. How could she possibly have a real, face-to-face conversation with him if talking on the phone was so hard?

ooOOOoo

Asami checked her watch for the umpteenth time. It was nearly two, and he had yet to show. She was done. She lifted her delicate frame off of the edge of the fountain and started off towards the parking lot, her hands shoved deeply into the pockets of her jacket.

"Hey, Asami." She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"You're late, Mako." She continued walking away from him.

He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around so that she was facing him. Even now, even after he had put her through, she still couldn't stop the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach when she looked into his fiery eyes.

"I know, and I'm so sorry." At least he sounded somewhat genuine. "I was just with Korra and—" He stopped suddenly, and his mouth hung open a little bit. He searched Asami's eyes, but she didn't let any emotion show.

She sighed. "It's okay. I get it."

Mako looked at the ground in shame, which forced Asami to look down as well; it hadn't been her intention to make him feel guilty.

"So," Mako said, trying to get the conversation started, "you hungry?"

The grumble that came from her stomach answered that question. The two walked in perfect silence to the nearest vendor, who was selling rice and komodo chicken that was "so hot it'll burn your tongue off."

As the man handed them their lunches, Asami reached for her wallet, but Mako was already handing the man the required money. He even dropped a few coins in the tip jar.

The two walked over to one of the park benches and sat in silence as they ate their chicken. It wasn't _that _hot. Asami chuckled as Mako gulped down his entire water bottle in one swig.

"I thought firebenders like spicy foods."

He smiled, genuinely, at her. "I guess I'm not a real firebender."

She looked down at her chicken and said, "Are you happy, Mako?"

His mouth opened a little at the sudden seriousness of her question. "Yeah, I'm happy. Really happy." Her jaw clenched so slightly that it was barely noticeable, but he picked up on it. "But that's not what you wanted to hear, is it?"

Asami snapped her head up and looked him in the eyes. There was an intensity to her stare that hadn't been there before—ever. But there was rawness to her too; the kind of bleakness that was there after her father revealed himself to be an Equalist.

"No." Mako gulped. "No, that _is_ what I wanted to hear." The firebender gaped at her. "I wanted to know that you were happy."

For a moment, Mako stared at her in disbelief, but he recomposed himself after looking into the nonbender's eyes. "Why? How could you possibly want me to be happy?"

She took a deep breath. This was it. "Because, despite everything you put my through, I still care about you." She was just being honest, yet he looked so ashamed. "I still want you to be happy." With each word, she felt a weight lifting off of her chest: a weight that had been crushing her for weeks.

Mako took a deep breath of his own. "Why are you such a good person?" The two looked off into the distance for a while. "I'm sorry, Asami. Really, I am. I never meant to hurt you."

Asami turned to look at him. "I know." He really did have the most amazing eyes. "And I forgive you, Mako." Somehow, she meant it.

* * *

Irosami Week - Day 1: Forgiveness

So, I know this chapter was kind of boring, but I promise it will get better. And I'm sorry Iroh wasn't in this chapter even though this _is_ for Irosami week. I'm a bad person He'll be here later, though. Don't you worry. Well, if you liked it feel free to favorite it, and if you didn't then feel free to throw tomatoes at your screen. Tomatoes are cool.


	2. Permission

Hey everyone! You're awesome if you clicked on this :D Anyway, thank you so much to anyone who bothered to read the last chapter, and a special thank you to anyone who followed it, favorited it, or reviewed it. You guys rock.

So, today's prompt/theme is permission, so this was what I was inspired with. Yeah, not much amount permission, but I do get to introduce a lot of characters :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra, but the plot is mine.

* * *

"Do you really have to leave so soon?" Korra asked her friend, a pout already formed.

Asami chuckled and offered her a smile. "It's not like I'll be gone forever."

"You'll be gone for _two_ months," Bolin added as he threw his arms into the air. "That's like sixty days!"

"Don't tell me you're going to miss me," she teased.

Bolin made a distorted face and some indiscernible noises. "Me? No, no, no. I'm worried about Pabu. He gets really attached to people and stuff."

Asami smiled and pulled the younger boy into a hug. "I'll miss you too, Bolin." Besides befriending Tahno, Asami had grown close to the second half of the fabulous bending brothers. He always seemed to lighten her mood and was always there to put a smile on her face.

She wasn't lying when she said she would miss him.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly to let her know that he understood even if he wasn't happy with the idea of her being away for so long. When Bolin pulled away, he couldn't make eye contact with her.

"Oh come on," she said, "where's that classic Bolin smile?"

"Look at you, Bo, getting all worked up," Korra said, though there was a considerable amount of sadness on her face as well.

Bolin's lip trembled as he turned and left the room, claiming to need a moment. Asami looked sadly after him, now feeling a little bit guilty about leaving on such sort notice.

Korra said, "What a girl." But her voice betrayed her and cracked. She looked down and said seriously, "I'm going to miss you, Asami." Her foot traced circles on the ground.

"I'll miss you too, Korra." The younger girl stepped forward and enveloped Asami in one of her crushing hugs.

"Don't forget to write; I want to know all about the Fire Nation."

Asami chuckled as Korra stepped back, eyes glistening. "I'll remember, don't you worry."

Bolin reentered the room, much more composed, and said, "And pick me up a souvenir. Maybe a Firelord Zuko bobble-head."

The girl chuckled and agreed. The three friends looked at each other in silence. The only one missing from their little group was Mako, but Asami didn't blame him. He was on duty today and couldn't get off—not that she had told him she was leaving.

Well, Tahno wasn't there either, but he wasn't really part of the group. Bolin and Mako still hated his guts, and Korra was just starting to warm up to him. So, Asami had decided to say goodbye to him separately.

"We're really going to miss you, Asami," Bolin said.

She smiled sadly and replied, "It's only two months; I'll be back before you know it."

This time, it was Korra who shed a few tears. "God dammit, Asami. You know I hate crying." Asami felt tears prick her own eyes, but told herself she wasn't going to cry. This trip was what she needed—wanted.

"I'll see you guys soon." The three came together in a tight group hug, and when they pulled apart Bolin lost it. Asami said her final goodbyes before leaving Air Temple Island and heading for her apartment.

After picking up her bags, she arrived at Narook's. The shop owner had seen her many times before, so he didn't question it as she made her way up the back staircase. She barely even knocked before the door swung open to reveal a very sad looking Tahno.

"Hey, Tahno," Asami said. He didn't respond. For a moment, he just looked at her in silence. Then, he stepped forward and wrapped his sinewy arms around her neck.

"Oh come on, cheer up," she said. "You were the one who told me to go."

"Don't worry about me, princess," Tahno said, "I'll be fine." There was no bitterness to his words; they were just words. "But you—you go have a great time over there." He pulled away from her.

He offered her a sad looking smirk. She crossed her arms and looked up into his icy-blue eyes. "Are you telling me that the great Tahno actually _cares_ about someone? Amazing."

"Get over yourself, princess." His smirk was genuine this time. "I'm just worried that you'll miss _me_ so much that it will ruin your whole trip."

Asami shook her head. "Who's going to keep a check on that ego of yours while I'm away?"

"Me?" He placed his hand on his chest with mock offense. "Egotistical? Princess, I'm not narcissistic; I'm just honest." She smiled. He checked the watch on his wrist and said, "If you don't hurry you're going to miss your ferry, and what a shame that would be."

"I'll miss you, Tahno." They hugged once more.

"Don't do anything stupid over there," he warned her.

"I won't."

ooOOOoo

Asami stepped off the ferry and onto the old dock. People bustled around her, a few clearly tourists but most others were just going about their daily lives. She took a deep breath and let the salty air fill her lungs.

She felt better already. Maybe the myths about Ember Island were true.

Asami grabbed her three, oversized bags—she had a tendency to over pack—and struggled down the street with them; her hotel wasn't too far away from the dock, so there was no point in paying for a taxi. Besides, she had been cooped up on that boat for a day and a half. Walking felt good.

As she walked down the street she looked at the names of the inns and shops on the street. The Komodo Kastle. The Firelord's Furnace. Rest, Relaxation, and Roku: Ember Island's Finest Spa. Bumi's Booming Bedrooms. General Iroh's General Store. Ty Lee Tai Chi.

And to think she had thought the stores in Republic City were ridiculous.

Finally, Asami found herself in front of the inn she would be staying at: the Dragon of the West. She dragged her suitcases into the lobby and walked over to the front desk.

A man with long, dark hair tied back in a ponytail was asleep on the surface. His skin was tanned dark from years spent in the sun, and he had a golden ring around one of his fingers.

"Excuse me?" Asami said. The man didn't wake up. She grabbed her chin and thought for a moment. Finally, she decided on just shaking the man awake.

"Who, what?" he shouted as he woke from his sleep. When his eyes settled on the young heiress, he said, "Am I dreaming, or are you Asami Sato?"

Oh no, people weren't supposed to know who she was here. That's why she picked Ember Island; it was secluded, and no one was here was supposed to bother with the outside world. Or at least, that's what she had heard.

"Um, no. No, I am most certainly not her," she said with a shy smile.

He leaned forward to get a better look at her. "Well, you sure do look a lot like her."

"I get that a lot," Asami said. "My name's…Kana." The man didn't look very convinced. "She's always been an idol of mine, so I kind of copy the way she does her hair and makeup. But between you and me," she leaned in, "this is a wig."

Now the man just seemed a little creeped out. He looked down at his book and searched for the name Kana. He almost seemed surprised when he found it; Asami had been sure to book herself under that name when she called.

"Your room's 209, _Kana_," he said, handing her the key. She thanked him and made her way through the lobby towards the elevator. She didn't realize how beautiful the room was when she had entered it.

On each of the sidewalls were massive paintings of the Fire Nation capital, and below them plush looking sofas. On top of the dark, wood floors, sat a rug that showed a map of the Four Nations. The check-in desk sat next to the entrance, which was something to be admired all in itself.

The elevator _dinged_ as the doors opened. Asami shoved all of her suitcases into the small space and climbed in herself. When it opened on the second floor, the young couple waiting to get it took a cautious step back.

"Sorry!" Asami said as she practically fell of the elevator with her bags. They stared after her as she walked down the hallway to room 209. It was such a relief when she threw her bags on the ground and closed the door.

The first thing she did was go into the bathroom and was off all of her makeup. All of it. When she looked up into the mirror, she admitted that she did look a little different, but was still recognizable as Asami Sato.

She went back into the room, which had an entire wall taken up with wall-to-floor windows for a spectacular view of the ocean, and sat down on the edge of the double bed.

How in the world was this vacation going to work if people would recognize her? Here, she didn't want to be _Asami Sato_, the youngest CEO of any industry on record, nonetheless the CEO of the most successful business in the Four Nations. She wanted to be a nobody for once in her life, like she was when she first met Mako.

Asami closed her eyes and smiled as she remembered their first encounter. It was adorable how he had tripped over his words and how he had forgiven her for hitting him with her _moped_ without a second thought. But then she had to remind herself that Mako wasn't hers anymore; he had moved on.

Her eyes snapped opened and she walked over to the mirror hanging above her dresser. She pursed her lips and stared at her hair. That was what people recognized about her, wasn't it? She tugged at one of the loose strands and wondered what people would think when she got home.

But looking into the mirror, she decided that she just didn't care; she didn't need their permission.

ooOOOoo

The bells that hung on the door chimed when Asami opened it. People lifted their heads to look at her, but no one looked for long; her hair was out of its usual style and pulled back in a ponytail. She walked over to the desk and waited for the woman to look up from her book.

She didn't. "Hello?"

The woman put the novel down, looking very annoyed. "What do you want?"

Asami was a little taken back by the brashness of her tone; wasn't the customer supposed to come first? "I was wondering if I could get my hair-dyed today?"

"You need an appointment for that," she said, lifting her book back up.

"Well, then do you have any die I could buy and use at home?"

The woman lowered her book once more to glare at Asami. "No."

"Hey, wait," one of the hairdressers who had been standing around idly said. She had tanned skin and dark brown eyes. Her black hair was cut short and spiked up. "I can help you out; I don't have anything booked for the rest of the day."

Asami smiled and said, "Would you?"

"Sure. It's either that or sitting around all day." Asami smiled as the woman waved her over to an empty chair. Asami tried not to smirk at the woman at the desk. Wow, Bolin had been right; Tahno _was_ rubbing off on her.

She took the seat and stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, just pulling back her hair really made a difference, but she really wanted to be sure.

"So, darling, what color are you looking for?" the hairdresser asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. I just want one that really mixes things up."

The hairdresser stared at Asami's reflection in the mirror before clapping her hands and saying, "I know _exactly_ what you're looking for." She turned and left for a minute to get the dyes.

When she came back, she began working on the process of dying Asami's hair. "The name's Ilah, by the way."

"Kana."

"Nice to meet you, Kana. Are you from around here?"

"No. I'm actually from Ba Sing Se, and I'm just here for a visit."

"And how long will you be on our humble island?" Ilah smiled warmly at her as she brushed the color onto her hair.

Asami replied just as warmly, "About two months. I needed a break from city life." She thought for a minute before continuing. "And I just needed to restart somewhere." The hairdresser nodded and asked if there was any particular reason for this fresh start. "I'm trying to get over a break up."

"So you travel to the Fire Nation?"

"It was a rough breakup." The hairdresser laughed. "Besides, I just needed a break from everything." And then she was telling Ilah all that had happened, and she couldn't stop herself—not that she wanted to. It felt so good just to say everything at once.

"Recently, I found out my father's been living a secret life, and he just wasn't the man I thought he was; it turns out he's a horrible father and criminal. Then, my boyfriend falls for another girl, who was my friend nonetheless, right in front of me and doesn't even bother to try and hide it.

"Not to mention, when he does chose her he doesn't actually break up with me, he just sort of goes with her. Then, because my father was convicted for the crimes he committed in his alternate life, I had to take over the family business.

I mean, sure, running the business is doable, but it's a little difficult when you're a mess inside. And everyone just expects me to have so much grace, and I just don't know if I can do it!"

Ilah scratched the back of her neck and looked down at Asami. "Wow. Yeah, I'd run away to another nation too."

Asami stiffened a little. "I'm not running away. I'm just taking a break."

The hairdresser chuckled and continued dying Asami's hair. The conversation continued after that, but it wasn't nearly as serious. For the most part, it was just small talk; Asami guessed that Ilah didn't want her to have another breakdown.

When the process was finally over, Asami looked into the mirror and saw a different person staring back at her: someone who was no one, who could be anyone.

Her hair was now a golden blonde, which looked amazing against her pale skin tone. She touched it, to make sure it was real, and nearly squeaked with happiness.

"Do you like it?" Ilah asked.

"Like it? It's amazing," she said, standing up from the chair. "You're amazing!" The hairdresser offered a crooked grin and rubbed the back of her neck. "What do I owe you?"

"Nah," Ilah said, waving her hand. "Consider this one on the house."

Asami crossed her arms and planted her feet. "Seriously, what do I owe you?" Ilah just laughed. "Fine, then I'll just give you what I think I owe you." Asami opened her purse and searched for her wallet.

Where was it? Her heart started to race, and her hands moved faster. Where was the wallet? Hadn't she but it in her bag? Maybe, but it wasn't in there now.

She looked up sheepishly at Ilah. "Like I said, this one's on the house. You've been through so much right now that it's the least I can do."

Asami smiled at the hairdresser and said, "Thank you so much."

"Oh," the hairdresser said, "I forgot to tell you that you can't go in the ocean." Asami raised an eyebrow. "Something about the salty water will make the dyes run out. Regular water is fine, but stay away from the ocean."

Asami nodded and thanked Ilah again before she left the shop, heading straight back to the hotel. Hopefully, her wallet was in the room. If not, she'd have to write to Tahno and see if she had left it at her apartment.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the group coming down the sidewalk towards her and bumped—or rather smashed—into one of them. Somehow, she was the one who got knocked down on the ground.

She heard one of them say, "Nice going, man."

"Watch, where you're going," she said angrily, but she didn't really know why she was upset. Especially since it was kind of her fault.

The stranger offered a hand to her and said in a shockingly familiar voice, "I'm sorry. I guess I didn't see you there?"

Asami ignored the hand and stood up, brushing the dirt off of her white sundress; back in the room she had switched her normal outfit for a less Asami-like one. "I can get up just fine by myself, thank you very much." Why was she so bitter?

"Hey, do I know you?" She looked up into the eyes of General Iroh. Only, he wasn't General Iroh. He was wearing a white, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and casual shorts.

Asami gulped and replied, "No."

"Hm," Iroh said. "I guess you just remind me of someone I met once."

"Well, I doubt that," Asami said, now purposefully trying to be as unlike herself as possible. "I just came here from Ba Sing Se. Have you been there? Because this is my first time here, so I don't see how we could have met."

One of his friends nudged him, telling him it was time to move on. "Okay," he murmured. To Asami he said, "Well, I guess we've never met then. I must be mistaking you for someone else. You'll have to forgive me."

He nodded and continued with his friends down the road. Asami frowned once he was out of sight; she felt bad for being so rude to him. During the brief period of time she had been with Iroh, he had always been so kind to her.

When she went back to being herself she'd make up for it. Maybe she'd send him a gift basket or something. Right now, she had a wallet to find.

* * *

Oh, what a bad cliffhanger. XD Well, another chapter should be out tomorrow, but I'm afraid they're just going to keep getting longer and longer. I'm sorry, but I introduced Iroh (let's ignore the fact he was only in it for a few lines because next chapter will be all Iroh).

Again, if you liked it (oh gosh, you poor soul), feel free to favorite it. If not, I encourage you to throw darts at a picture of me; it helps gets the anger you felt when reading my poor writing out. Feel free to leave a review if you want, good or bad, and I'll see you all again tomorrow.


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